


Finding Lark

by Cantatrice18



Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Backstory, Character Study, Gen, Rescue, magical discovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-06
Updated: 2011-11-06
Packaged: 2017-10-25 18:38:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/273492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cantatrice18/pseuds/Cantatrice18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niko hadn't set out looking for a new mage, particularly not in the slums of the Mire. . .</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Lark

Niko urged his horse forward to catch up with the rest of the Duke’s party. It wasn’t so much the people in the Mire that he minded: he was used to dealing with all types, though he preferred to avoid thieves when he could help it. What really unsettled him was the dirt. He’d done too many studies on water contamination, examined too many disease-ridden samples under the microscopes at Lightsbridge to ride comfortably through such a place. He knew he was overreacting, but the sight of the unwashed faces and hands around him made him shudder. One mistimed emptying of a chamber pot off a balcony and he could be contaminated for hours, days, weeks even. He shook his head to clear it of such thoughts, and the silver at the edges of his vision glittered. The magic here was weak and sparse, protection spells that were badly done or too old to be effective. He was so used to the bright gleam of Winding Circle that he barely noticed these tiny threads. A scuffling sound above him made him look up in alarm, prepared to dodge anything that might fall. On a second-story ledge, barely big enough to be called a balcony, a man was struggling with a young boy. The child looked to be about ten, though you could never really tell in the slums – many children, deprived of proper food, stopped growing early. The boy had something clutched in his hand, and from the anger on the man’s face it was obvious that the item was stolen. To Niko’s surprise, the boy managed to yank free, leaping deftly to the next balcony where a young woman was hanging out her washing to dry. The man clumsily followed, and as he ran in pursuit his elbow hit the woman in the back, sending her toppling forward. Niko’s eyes widened as he reached out a hand, knowing he would not be fast enough. The woman reached frantically for something to keep her from falling and her fingertips caught the clothesline. A blinding light surged through the cord, forcing him to blink and quickly shield his vision. The woman was holding on desperately, her entire weight resting on the thin piece of rope, now magically reinforced to support her. The light in the cord began to fade and he saw her visibly weaken. He spurred his horse forward, ignoring the angry cries of those who scrambled out of his way, and pulled up just in time to catch her as she fell. Her eyes were closed and she was shaking with exhaustion. She weighed next to nothing, and he frowned sadly; the cord might have supported her without the magical help she’d given it. He stiffened as she began to cough, worried that she might be carrying some dreadful contagion, but relaxed slightly as he heard the familiar wheeze of asthma. The dust in libraries had set off asthma attacks in many a novice, though he himself had been spared that particular ailment. He quickly dismounted, wincing as he was forced to kneel in the dirt. He laid the woman flat on the ground, resting her head in his lap, and began to massage her neck, loosening her muscles as best he could. Her coughing slowly subsided and she opened her eyes for the first time. They were a beautiful golden brown, and she did not look frightened or upset to see a noble, as he’d expected. He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “Are you feeling better? You seem to be breathing more freely.”

She nodded, wincing as she sat up. “I am much improved, and very grateful for your aid.” Her voice was soft and musical, and her accent held no trace of the Mire inflection.

The Duke had noticed his absence, and the party of nobles turned back to wait. The ruler himself rode towards them, smiling slightly. “Niklaren, it seems that you have an eye for more than magic. Your reflexes are excellent.” He looked down at the young woman, and she struggled to rise. Niko lent her his arm, and she accepted gratefully, bowing before the Duke with surprising grace. The nobleman’s face grew serious, though his eyes were kind. “I trust that you were not injured, madam.”

The woman shook her head, staring at the ground. “There was no harm done, your Grace. I thank you for your concern.”

The Duke looked at Niko, and the mage shook his head slightly. He knew that he could not honorably leave her to fend for herself after such a fall; there was a chance her asthma might return, and she was still trembling slightly from fatigue. It was the least he could do to ensure her health and safety. He sighed inwardly, knowing that this would mean extra hours spent in the Mire, but comforted himself with the fact that he could help her get a decent meal. “Would your Grace happen to know of a reputable eating establishment in this area?”

The Duke smiled, and it was clear that he was pleased with Niko’s choice to help the woman. “There is a tavern called the Three Crows two streets over that is frequented by many of the watchmen. I trust in their good taste.”

Niko glanced at the woman. She didn’t seem the type to engage in anything criminal, but he couldn’t be sure. He decided to risk it: at the very least, the presence of watchmen would keep her from being harmed by anyone who would take advantage of her weakened state. “Madam, might I convince you to join me for a midday meal?”

She looked at him with surprise, her eyes solemn. “Sir, after all you've done for me, I cannot impose further upon your kindness.”

He shook his head. “It is no imposition, believe me. I'm quite hungry, and your company would enliven the afternoon.” She still seemed hesitant, and so he took her hand gently. “Please? I would not ask if I didn’t mean it.” She bowed her head slowly, and he lifted her easily onto his horse. The Duke nodded a farewell as Niko led the horse on foot down the dusty street.

The tavern was clean and well lit, the food surprisingly good. Niko watched closely as the woman ate, satisfied as he saw the color returning to her cheeks. She’d introduced herself as Haideh, a name that identified her firmly as a native of Sotat (though he probably could have guessed that by the rosy bronze of her skin. She appeared to be in her late twenties, and though she was thinner than she should have been she still had clearly defined muscles – he suspected that she was a dancer of some kind. She made polite conversation with him, and he felt oddly relaxed in her presence. As she slowly finished her meal he leaned back in his chair. “I’m surprised someone with your level of magic is living in the Mire. I’d expect you to be at one of the Living Circle temples.”

She looked up at him, frowning. “I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand you.”

He repeated his statement, adding “What you did back there, with the clothesline, was very impressive, though you used more of your power than was necessary. Of course, that’s completely understandable under such circumstances.”

She stared at him as though he had begun to speak in tongues. “You must be mistaken. I have no magic.”

He frowned, annoyed. Seeing things that were hidden to others was his specialty after all, though there was no way she could know that. “I’m not mistaken. The magic you displayed was not a passing glimmer, it was an obvious surge of power, absolutely unmistakable.”

For the first time he saw fear in her eyes as she looked at him warily. “Someone else must have used magic on me then. If I’d been a mage, it would have been found out a long time ago, when I was a child.”

“Not if you are an ambient mage. They use the world around them as a source of power, and are harder to identify. Your power must have hidden itself well. It looks like you work with ropes or thread, something of that sort.” His expression softened slightly. “You really didn’t know? You’ve never used your power by your own conscious will?”

She shook her head, still looking at him disbelievingly. “I like weaving, embroidery and the like, but that isn’t magic. It’s just a hobby, something that brings me joy.”

He examined her carefully. She seemed to be telling the truth about her ignorance, the shock and confusion on her face told him that much. “I would like to see some of your embroideries, if you wouldn’t mind.”

She hesitated slightly. “I don’t have anything with me, they are all at home.”

She eyed him with misgiving, and he felt a pang of guilt as he realized how he must sound, asking her to let him into her private rooms after wining and dining her. Less scrupulous men would doubtless take advantage of the situation, and his nobility didn’t help matters: many nobles treated lower class women as disposable playthings. She was right to be suspicious of such a proposition. “I swear to you that my intentions are honorable. I only want to see whether your other thread-work holds the same sort of magic. If it doesn’t, I will not pursue the subject further, and will leave you in peace.”

She nodded, staring down at the table. “You have been most generous, more than anyone could rightfully expect. I will show you my needlework, though I doubt you will find it of any interest.”

Niko stood and offered her his hand. “There’s no time like the present.” He searched through his purse, leaving a generous tip on the table. Bowing slightly, he motioned towards the door. “Lead the way.”

Her apartment was clean and well kempt, her few possessions arranged neatly by a small cot in the corner. There was only the one room, and the balcony from which she’d fallen. She went to the bedside, removing a small embroidery hoop from beneath her pillow. Niko needed no close inspection to search out the magic: the thing glowed like a miniature sun in her hands as she held it out to him. “It’s just a simple work, I’ve not had much time lately.”

As he shielded his magical vision against the light, he saw the outline of a bird traced on the cloth; only its head and wings were completed. Rather than taking it from her, he walked behind her, laying his hands on her shoulders. She stiffened slightly, but did not move away. “If you’ll allow me, I would like to use a spell that will allow you to see the magic that I see, just for a minute.”

She nodded assent and he closed his eyes. His power was at its peak – he hadn’t been doing much work lately at the temple, they hadn’t needed anything major and the duke had occupied much of his time – and so it only took a moment to link her mind with his. “Open your eyes and look at the bed.”

She did so, and he felt her surprise as she saw the faint silver glow of her protection charms, faded as they were. “Now look down at your embroidery.”

She glanced downwards and gasped, dropping the hoop to the floor and backing away. The connection between them broke, and her view of the magic was gone. She still stared at the hoop in shock and he laid a light hand on her shoulder once more. “Now do you see what I mean? Up till now you have had no control over your work, but you do have magic, and it needs to be trained. Your magic will react in situations like today, and not always in the way you’d like. With study you can learn control, and decide for yourself when to use your power.”

She looked at him, and he could tell that she was in shock. “I – I can’t learn magic, not now, who would teach me? I’m far too old for an apprenticeship, no mage will take me as a student –“

He shook his head sharply, cutting her off. “There is only one place qualified to teach you, and that is Winding Circle.”

She looked down, and he saw that she was near tears. “I can’t afford a temple education. I’m no noble or merchant, such a place isn’t for me.”

Niko shook his head once more, this time kindly. “It is true that Winding Circle levies payments for its education of nobility, but it also takes in special cases for free. People whose magic is in dire need of training, such as yourself, have no need to worry about costs. If you agree to this, then I will personally ensure your well-being at the temple. You need to be taught. Your power is beginning to break out of your control; luckily, we have caught it in time to prevent any major accident.”

A tear slowly rolled down her cheek, and she hastily brushed it away. “I’m sorry – this is just so . . .unexpected.”

He took her hand gently in his. “I understand. It isn’t going to be an easy change, to adjust to temple life after so many years as a civilian, but I think you’ll find it better for you. You’ll never lack food or shelter, and you’ll be able to do what you love – work with thread in its many forms.”

For the first time he saw her smile, and he knew he’d won her over. “Let’s start packing your things – with luck we can get you settled in your new home by tonight.”


End file.
